Shiro
by la anjita
Summary: A different take on the traditional story. A very different Chihiro enters the Spirit world that day. This is her story. AU.


**Howdy guys and gals.**

**'Tis I, La Anjita!**

**This is my first SA fic so, while constructive criticism is appreciated, please bear that in mind.**

**Okay so, summary: a very different Chihiro from the one we all know enters the Spirit World. This is her story.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, once it diverges from canon.**

**Enjoy.**

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**Shiro**

**Chapter one: A Whole New World**

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Ogino Chihiro sat in the back of her father's car, hands clasped neatly in her lap and head bowed humbly, as she had been taught. And, though she was likely the most cowed teen on this road, even she could not help it as her red eyes flicked up to catch occasional glimpses of scenery between her white bangs.

Ogino Chihiro was an albino, the only one in this area, and her parents and others considered it to be the source of considerable shame.

Chihiro knew this; she was not sheltered from popular opinion. Indeed, the insults seemed to be encouraged; the seventeen year olds life was not a happy one. As a matter of fact, her parents' treatment of the white haired youth bordered on abusive. Mr. and Mrs. Ogino did not actively beat their only daughter, but they were prone to a sharp warning slap across the thigh or cheek should she fail to comply with a wish, disobey an order or fall short of set standards. Chihiro was, for the most part, neglected and left to her own devices, save the daily chores she was set.

Chihiro had gotten used to the jibes she received from peers and adults alike but now that they were moving, to be closer to her father's new job in a computing company, she had the prospect of a new school and new antagonists to grow used to. Chihiro let out a soft sigh, which her mother did not miss.

'Something wrong, young lady?' she asked from the front, in a voice like poisoned honey.

Chihiro ducked her head lower, averting crimson-amber eyes from the passing trees framed by the window. 'No mother, gomenasai.'

The dark haired adult in the front nodded and returned to listening to the radio. Chihiro focused her scarlet gaze once more on the greenery outside.

She next emerged out of her reverie as she felt the window easing down. The warm summer breeze whipped her loose hair around her face and made the collar of her blue shirt flap against her neck. The hot sun, as they cleared the trees onto the highway, was harsh against her fair skin but she knew better than to complain and instead focused her attention on her still clasped hands drifting, again, into her personal musings.

Some twenty minutes later Chihiro was once more pulled out of her thoughts by the urgent voice of her mother and, once she had fully awoken from her daze, the mad speed at which the car was travelling the rough hewn dirt track. She was thrown forward, along with her parents and the various moving boxes situated in the back with her, as her father slammed on the brakes with a startled 'What's that?'

Chihiro peered between the seats at the strange and quite ugly statue that her father had just barely braked in front of. Her gaze then moved to the ancient looking structure behind it.

Mr. Ogino climbed out first, then followed by his wife who turned, annoyed, to her daughter. She gestured impatiently. 'Well? Get out girl. Don't sit there gawking.'

Chihiro opened her door and quickly complied, 'Hai.' She jogged to catch up with her father, who was patting the red wall contemplatively. He turned to his wife. 'These stones aren't old; they're fake. They're made of plaster'

Chihiro looked hard at the stones beneath the peeling red paint and then looked down, between her bare feet, as she felt a cool and swifter breeze dragging leaves and grit across her toes. She looked into the dark passageway, straining her eyes to see as far as she could. 'The wind's pulling us in,' she said softly. Her father glanced her way and Chihiro flinched slightly, but he just glared a little and turned back to his wife.

'Come on, I wanna see what's on the other side.'

Chihiro zoned out as the two had a quick argument, discussing the pros and cons of investigating further and, in the end, her father won out and Chihiro found herself hiking along behind her parents as they moved through the tunnel. The rough rock was uncomfortable on her feet, but she spent enough time barefoot to have built up thicker soles than most. As such, when the three emerged into what seemed to be a small train station, Chihiro's small, pale feet were none the worse for wear.

The outside was like something out of a dream, was Chihiro's first thought, with a cool breeze making the grass and her silver hair sway. The perfection of the moment was ruined somewhat with her mother's impatient shout for her to 'hurry it up' from somewhere beyond the nearest hill. Chihiro obliged and dashed after her parents, the cool and springy moss cushioning each step. Surprisingly, they were waiting for her at the top of the incline. Her father scowled. 'I catch you dilly-dallying again…' he trailed off, the implication made. Chihiro bobbed her head, loose white bangs obscuring her face.

'Hai, gomenasai,' and she followed meekly after her parents. After a moment or two, her father lifted his head, sniffing the air, her mother doing the same. Surreptitiously, Chihiro copied the motion and found her mouth watering and hungry belly rumbling at the delicious smell that assaulted her senses. Her father and mother quickly started after it, Chihiro trailing behind.

They kept going for a while, her father following his nose through the maze of restaurants, an oddity that her mother commented on, until they found the source of the scent. Her mother and father pounced on the free meal, after arguing a moment over whether or not to eat it, and it wasn't until her mother brusquely waved her off that Chihiro was sure it was acceptable for her to wander off.

So she did. Looking around a moment before heading for the spire to her right. And then her attention was taken by something else; something much bigger and much grander. Chihiro stepped out onto the wooden bridge, breathing out softly in amazement.

'It's a bathhouse,' she murmured. Then she cocked her head to the side as a train sounded beneath her. Her feet pattered softly against the smooth wood as she hopped over and leaned her head through the railings.

'There's the train,' she whispered to herself, red eyes smiling slightly. She dashed across to the other side, leaning down over the higher rail and letting her waist-length white hair fly around in the breeze that the altitude induced.

A soft sound to her right made her head whip around and she gasped, ruby eyes widening.

At first, the gasp was out of fear of reproach – she wasn't meant to meet others unless she was introduced, which was rare. But then her eyes finally focused on the figure before her…and fear of reproach disappeared.

The young man was…captivating. He couldn't have been any more than three years her senior, and yet there was something in his eyes…as if he'd seen everything and was tired of it. His hair was thick and a deep green, cut short so it framed his face and swayed as he moved.

And his voice was like water…cold water, as his words actually registered.

………………………………………..POV shift………………………………………….

Haku stared at the figure on the bridge. She was undeniably human – the scent said as much – but the colouring of her hair and eyes and the paleness of her skin can't have been typical of human appearances. The look in her eyes was one of guarded curiosity, which looked alien on the open and innocent planes of her face. Indeed, there was some kind of innocence in her eyes, as if she'd been locked away from the world and prevented from learning about its simplest things. Haku couldn't help but suspect that even _he_ knew more about her world than she did. More curiously still her scent, the overpowering odour that distinguished humans from spirits, was…different. It was muted and slightly sweeter; it smelled more like too-strong flowers than cripplingly human.

Haku gave himself a mental shake; standing and staring wouldn't help this girl, and he felt a strange compulsion to aid her. It was too late to explain things gently to her, already the sky was darkening to dusk, so he drew himself up and snapped his words out, willing the strange girl – _Chihiro _his mind inexplicably noted – to sense his urgency and leave with all due haste.

'You shouldn't be here. Get out of here, now!'

He watched as confusion clouded her claret eyes. He growled inwardly and took a step forwards, emphasising his words.

'It's almost night! _Leave_ before it gets dark!'

A soft orange glow appeared in his peripheral vision. He whipped his head around.

'They're lighting the lamps,' he muttered to himself then he looked back at the human girl. He grasped her arm and pushed her back across the bridge. 'You've gotta get across the river. Go! I'll distract them!'

He held out his hand and called upon his spirit wind to cause some distraction among the shop owners. A small cluster of his icy coloured scales floated from his palm, one heading for each opening store. He watched as the nearer storeowners straightened, awaiting his arrival. Alright, time for him to march around awhile and cause some kind of delay.

Swiftly, Haku moved towards the nearest store with long, purposeful strides. The grotesque, puffy-skinned spirit who served the food met him outside, bowing dutifully with spatula in hand. 'Haku-sama, what brings you to my shop so close to opening hours?' it asked, voice as slimy as its skin. Haku scowled at it, an expression that he donned so often at this bathhouse that it had become second nature. Time to lie between his teeth and give that…strange human time enough to attempt an escape at least.

'Yubaba had complaints last night, about the quality of the food served at one of these stores.' The toad gulped, obviously sensing that something not particularly pleasant was forthcoming. Haku glared from beneath his fringe, aware that it placed his eyes in shadow and gave him a more menacing appearance. 'I've been away, and the staff busy, and as such there has been no time to enquire further. I've come to ensure that employees are not slacking off and to pass on the message that the highest standard is to be met, else the mistress of the establishment will take…action.' He paused before the last word, ensuring that the imaginary threat was properly established.

'H-Hai, Haku-sama!'

Haku nodded his head, an indication that the spirit was free to return to his work, and he did…very swiftly. Haku stared after it a moment before moving along to the next store – might as well make this a thorough lie.

……………………………………..POV shift…………………………………………….

Chihiro threw her arms out for balance as she dashed swiftly through the winding labyrinth of restaurants. She did not love her mother and father, but being without them made her feel somewhat…lost, despite the independence she possessed, forced upon her at a young age. Surely those two pigs she had found in the place of her parents at the restaurant upon her return were not really her parents? Surely this was a ridiculous dream?

She grabbed a wooden pillar to pivot around another corner. The speed and wind made her hair and shirt fly. She was panting, despite the fact that she was relatively fit, and her eyes were still wide and tear filled as adrenaline sent her body into shock; she'd rather be home scrubbing floors than running, possibly for her life, through an unknown place with creatures that shouldn't logically exist.

All of a sudden, the narrow streets opened onto a broad but short stairway into the darkness with the blinking lights of the tower above the tunnel, through which she and her parents had come, in the distance. She dashed down the stone steps, bare feet slapping against the hard ground until…

Splash!

'Water?' Chihiro spluttered, the iciness and suddenness of the water shocking her to the core. She clambered out, blue shirt that served as a dress dark and clinging to her form. She hunched over, staring towards the distant lights.

She let escape a quiet whimper and curled over herself, slamming her palms against her head.

'I'm dreaming! I'm dreaming!' She shrieked, as if the volume of her voice would make it true. It was the loudest she'd ever dared to be yet, despite the effort, the sight was the same when next she opened her eyes.

To her left, a brightly lit barge lowered a plank and strange spirits with paper mask faces appeared at the windows. She gasped and clasped her arms around herself, rocking backwards and forwards.

'It's just a dream. _It's just a dream. _Go away, _go away. _Disappear…' she ceased her murmurs, however, as she noticed the terrifying fact that, when she looked up, she was seeing the barge _through _her arms.

'I'm see through!'

The paper-masked creatures were crossing the plank onto the land, their bodies forming as they did so, and she backed away, rubbing her arms, but dark translucent figures reached up from the water and she shrieked, dashing back the way she came. She halted abruptly as she saw the restaurant lined streets brimming with creatures, so she veered off and instead fled through the flowerbeds and shrubs that lined the edges of the bathhouse grounds. She was crying now, and couldn't see properly. She almost ran into a wall as the shrubbery receded. She swiped the palms of her hands across her wet eyes, gasping raggedly as she looked wildly around. There was nobody nearby and the wall she was stood against had no windows, so no-one could spot her from inside. She looked around again, the realization that she was completely _alone _in this alien world bringing a fresh wave of tears cascading down her face and her breathing turned into irregular whimpers.

Sliding down the wall, Chihiro let the feelings of fear and despair consume her; she curled up, hugging her knees to herself, and cried.

……………………………………..POV shift…………………………………………….

Haku strode swiftly through the corridors. He had not felt anything leave through the tunnel since he had parted with the white haired human girl and it was opening time; the lights were all on and spirits were milling around. That could only mean that the girl had not made it out in time.

Haku turned another corner and started jogging. In that case he had to find her before the Yu-bird or one of the staff did; the most he could do for her now was try and get her a job in the bathhouse and hope that that granted her some immunity from Yubaba's wrath. He passed a door that opened out onto the bathhouse herb garden where all the plants for the bath salts were grown. He paused. The girl had seemed relatively sensible. If she had gotten to the river, then she probably would have turned back when she realised she couldn't cross. She would also probably have realised that going back to the town would have been stupid and so instead opted to run for the gardens. If that were so, he'd likely find her out here.

Haku started running again, jogging swiftly up a slight incline and looking around. He tensed as he caught sight of the blue clad figure huddled against a windowless wall. He felt a spark of admiration; even in her state she had made sure to check that she couldn't be seen before she broke down. He noticed the bush of berries beside him and knew she'd be suffering the effects that his world had on humans by now. He plucked a small purple-red berry from amongst the thin branches and hurried down towards her.

He knew he moved quietly, so she didn't know he was there yet. How did one comfort a girl? He'd never had much experience behaving kindly to people. He needn't have worried, however, since his hands seemed to move of their own accord, resting gently on either shoulder. Her head jerked up with a tear filled gasp and she looked at him, clearly terrified. He panicked a moment, unsure of what to say, but again he needn't have worried; the words came without him having to search.

'Don't be afraid. I just want to help.' She shook her head desperately, obviously on the edge of hysteria. New tears filled her eyes and she shrieked.

'No! No! No!' He fished the small sour tasting berry out from within his haori and offered it to her.

'Eat this. You have to eat something in this world or else you'll disappear.' Her eyes widened. Obviously she had witnessed the effect that food cooked for the spirits had on humans. She threw her arms out at him, ready to push him away, and he got the feeling that she would never brave such an audacious move had she not been so desperate.

'NO!'

Her arms stopped, hanging in mid-air, as she realised that they went right through him. The sensation was slightly odd, like a cool breeze flowing through his collarbone, but he remained calm for her benefit. She stared and he took advantage of her moment of surprise to get her to eat the small fruit. He held it up to her mouth, ignoring the sensation of her lips on his fingers – _that_ he would analyse later – and pushed it against her tongue, all the while uttering reassurances.

'Don't worry; it won't turn you into a pig. Just chew it and swallow.' After a moment she obeyed, screwing her face up against the taste. He smiled slightly at her small success. 'There you go; you're all better.' He held up a hand, palm towards her so as to be as unthreatening as possible. 'See for yourself.' After a moment of hesitation she held up her hand and gently pushed her small, pale fingers into his palm. They didn't go through. She looked up at him, the hysteria visibly fading from her ruby coloured eyes.

'I'm okay.' She breathed. He marvelled inwardly; her voice was sweet when she wasn't crying or shouting. He shook himself mentally and, on a whim, took her hand in both of his.

'You see?'

……………………………………..POV shift…………………………………………….

Chihiro looked up at the green haired man in some wonder, revelling the strange sensation of her hands being held so tenderly in another's. He'd done so much for her thus far, was so kind. Perhaps among the strange creatures she'd seen in this world, her hair and eyes didn't mean anything out of the ordinary? She flinched slightly as his head whipped around to stare into the sky. She followed his line of sight over his shoulder and saw what he was looking at: a strange bird, with the shrivelled face of an old woman, the greyish yellow hair pulled into an absurdly huge bun atop her head. The green haired man moved suddenly, looping one strong arm behind her and pressing the other hand against the wall behind them.

'Don't move!'

She tried to be worried about the strange bird, but the sensation of being held like this, protectively, tenderly…it made it hard, and made her want to cry. He pulled her closer and Chihiro could feel the muscles in his arm tensing behind her.

A few tense minutes passed by, slowly, as if dragged through syrup. It was only after the bird had passed them by and was out of sight that the arms around her loosened. He spoke, and was still watching the sky warily as he did.

'Yubaba's looking for you.' He turned towards her, eyes dark and intense. 'C'mon.' He stood and began to help Chihiro stand, taking her small hands and pulling, but something felt off...

'Ah! My legs! I can't stand up!' She pulled her hands free and began trying to push herself up. 'Help! What do I do?'

The young man knelt before her, taking her hands in his once again. 'Calm down.' He held his left hand a distance above the skin of her trembling thigh. It began to glow blue as he intoneed 'In the name of the wind and water within me, unbind her.'

It felt suddenly as if invisible ropes had fallen away from her, allowing her to move again. The strange man stood swiftly and tugged her up beside him, and she found herself allowing him to lead her by the hand through the herb garden. Eventually, Chihiro saw that they were approaching a small wooden gate. As they walked through, she could hear voices though she couldn't make out what they were saying. As the two rounded the corner, however, she caught sight of a party of toad-like humanoids. They were bobbing thei bulbus heads and they wore false smiles on their slack mouthhs. It was a welcome party, judging by their slimy, sycophantic greetings. The man beside her spoke softly to her. 'You have to hold your breath while we cross the bridge or they'll see you.'

Chihiro nodded nervously. It was quite a ways, and she really didn't want to be in such close company with the strange creatures making their way accross: giant fluffy yellow chicks; great pink bohemoths with big eyes and deadly looking tusks; robed figures with paper masks and even something that looked like a radish. They approached the bridge and the grip on her hand tightened reassuringly.

'Ready?'

She nodded.

'Take a deep breath.' His voice was calm and even, and Chihiro felt better for it. 'Hold it.' And they stepped on the bridge.

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**Comments? Complaints? Flames? Cookies? Bring 'em on folks, I'll eat 'em up like a starving woman.**

**Chapter two coming up soon peeps. Keep those reviews coming.**

**- La Anjita**


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